The former French president (2207-2012) Nicolas Sarkozy has been definitively condemned by the Paris Court of Cassation a one year electronic bracelet by corruption y influence peddling in the case of the ‘Bismuth’ listens. Sarkozy has defended his “total innocence”, has described the decision as “injustice” and has considered that his rights have been “trampled”.
The former president had presented resource after the judgment which sentenced him to three years in prison, one of them firm and commuted to house arrest with an electronic bracelet, and three years of disqualification for public office, but this Wednesday, December 18, the court confirmed the ruling.
This decision comes when Sarkozy must also appear before the Paris court in another case on January 6, 2025 on suspicion of illegal financing coming from Libya of his 2007 presidential campaign.
The former French president’s lawyer has announced moments after the sentence was made public that the will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourgconsidering that his client’s conviction rests “only on intercepted conversations” between Sarkozy and his then lawyer. “It is a ruling contrary to the jurisprudence of the ECtHR (…) It is true that it is a defeat for Sarkozy, but also for human rights.”
‘Bismuth Affair’
The so-called “tapping case” led to Sarkozy to be found guilty of having established a corruption pact with the former magistrate Gilbert Azibert. An agreement that consisted of the magistrate offering him information about the Bettencourt case that was then ongoing. In return, Sarkozy promised Azibert to help him get a position in Monaco. The magistrate never obtained the position in Monaco but for justice the intention to commit an act of corruption was enough to convict him.
Sarkozy is already preparing for his trial in January, although his lawyers have suggested to several French media that they “will try to obtain a delay so as not to disturb the proceedings before the court.”
In addition, the former president will turn 70 at the end of January and, therefore, will be old enough to request parole, that is, to be exempt from the electronic bracelet.
